TRC Ballpoint Pen Brass

A ballpoint that brings two components together in a surprisingly harmonious whole: a solidly pressed brass sleeve with an eyelet and a cedar wood grip that holds the refill. Pushed together, it measures just under 10 cm and fits into any trouser pocket; assembled, it provides a full writing length of approximately 14 cm. The brass begins to oxidise within days – developing a surface that makes each specimen unique.

Features

• Two-part bullet-pen design: The cedar wood grip with refill slides into the brass sleeve for transport. To write, it slides onto the open end of the sleeve – the total length of approximately 14 cm then sits solidly and evenly in the hand.
• Cedar wood grip zone: While the sleeve is solid brass, when writing the warm, slightly textured wood rests in your fingers – a tactile contrast that makes writing noticeably more pleasant than with solid metal pens.
• Solid brass eyelet: The eyelet at the top of the sleeve is large enough for a carabiner, leather strap or key ring – the pen can be attached to a notebook, rucksack or keychain. The eyelet is removable if a clip-free pen is preferred.
• Living brass patina: Brass oxidises in air and through skin contact – the surface changes colour from shiny gold to a deep, bronzed tone. Scratches and signs of use blend into this process rather than working against it.
• Replaceable refill: Compatible with the TRC ballpoint refill and OHTO 705NP (international standard). The 0.5 mm tip produces a very fine, black line – ideal for narrow-spaced notebooks and calendar pages. The refill is not archival.
• Removable clip: The clip on the sleeve can be removed if needed; a replacement clip is available separately.

Use & Tips

• Traveler's Notebook & pen loop: The pen fits into the TRC pen loop for the Traveler's Notebook (Regular and Passport) – assembled at 10 cm, it is more compact than most other pens commonly used for this purpose.
• EDC & keychain: Those who want a pen permanently at hand can attach it via the eyelet to a carabiner or leather strap – so it's always with you on your rucksack or belt without disappearing into a pocket.
• Shape the patina actively: Those who want to speed up the oxidation process carry the pen without a cloth or case directly in a trouser pocket. Those who prefer a fresh, more polished look occasionally wipe the brass with a soft cloth.
• Fine lines on compact paper: The 0.5 mm refill is particularly suited to small formats – Passport notebooks, pocket diaries, grid notepads with fine grids. On smooth, calendered paper, it writes especially evenly.
• Refill replacement: The OHTO 705NP is an international standard ballpoint refill and readily available; those who prefer a slightly more fluid line can test other compatible 0.5 mm standard refills depending on availability.

For EDC & Brass Enthusiasts

The bullet-pen principle of this pen harks back to an American pocket pencil tradition of the 1940s – TRC has taken up this form and reinterpreted it as a ballpoint. The sleeve is not merely a protective housing, but the actual body of the pen: it holds the weight, through it comes the length, and on it the patina develops. The cedar wood of the grip, on the other hand, remains always the same – warm, lightly textured, unchanged. This material contrast between living metal and stable wood is the design principle of the pen. It is manufactured in a press works in the Shitamachi district of Tokyo, where pressing, grinding and assembly steps are partly carried out by hand.

Technical Specifications